Freedom Tech Weekend

🚀 Freedom Tech Weekend – Season 1 Finale 🎉 In this final episode we dive deep into the hidden truth behind privacy promises from AI services and VPN providers. From Anthropic’s new data‑retention policy to real‑world VPN log scandals (PureVPN, NordVPN), we show you why “trust‑me‑bro” isn’t enough. 🔐 Learn how Maple’s private‑AI platform uses secure enclaves, confidential computing, and open‑source verification so you can actually verify that your data isn’t being logged. We break down Zero Data Retention (ZDR) policies, show you how to audit VPNs, and give you a step‑by‑step checklist for confirming any service’s security claims. 🛠️ Tools & Resources Mentioned Maple AI (free account → https://trymaple.ai) VPN audit checklist Anthropic data‑retention toggle Open‑source attestation on GitHub → https://github.com/OpenSecretCloud 💡 Whether you’re a developer, privacy‑conscious user, or just curious about how AI models handle your chats, this episode equips you with the knowledge to don’t trust, verify.

In this episode we dive deep into Wavlake, a decentralized streaming service that lets independent artists keep 90 %+ of their royalties and lets fans tip songs with Bitcoin (sats). We compare it with the old record‑store era, explain how you can listen, boost, and even buy tickets without middlemen, and show how Maple AI (our privacy‑first LLM) helps you plan the show. 👉 What you'll find Learn how to stream & download music DRM‑free. See a live demo of boosting tracks with sats. Get the step‑by‑step guide for artists uploading music and setting up revenue splits. Explore the ticket‑sale feature that bypasses Live Nation & Ticketmaster. Resources • Wavlake (iOS / Android): https://wavlake.com • Maple AI privacy‑first LLM (Web / iOS): https://trymaple.ai Join the movement – Leave a comment with your favorite indie track, boost a song, or share how you’ll use Wavlake this weekend. Subscribe for more freedom‑tech tools every Friday!

Welcome to another episode of Freedom Tech Weekend! In today’s live stream, host  Marks shows you how to run open‑source Large Language Models (LLMs) locally on your laptop (and eventually on a phone) using a handful of powerful, privacy‑first tools. 🔒 Why go local? Commercial AI services (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) keep your data on third‑party servers, exposing you to leaks, ads, and even legal data‑retention. By running models locally with LM Studio, ComfyUI, Whisper, and Qwen Coder, you keep full control of your information while still getting the productivity boost of AI. We do a speed test of Local AI vs Maple AI! ⏱️ 💡 What you’ll learn: - Installing & using LM Studio to load 20‑B and 120‑B models. - Comparing token‑speed and reasoning settings. - Generating text, code, and audio with Whisper and Mac Whisper. - Creating images (and even video) with Comfy UI and the Qwen Image diffusion model. - Building custom scripts with Qwen Coder. - Leveraging Maple AI for encrypted cloud inference when local hardware isn’t enough. 🛠️ Tools covered: LM Studio, ComfyUI, Whisper, Mac Whisper, Qwen Coder, Hugging Face model hub, Maple AI (try it at https://trymaple.ai). 👉 Get started this weekend – download the tools, follow the on‑screen steps, and experiment with your own private AI workflow. 👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new Freedom Tech Weekend episode. Have a tool you love? Drop it in the chat or tweet us! 🤖 Get confidential, encrypted AI for personal and work use: Maple AI https://trymaple.ai

Welcome back to Freedom Tech Weekend! In this impromptu episode, host Marks shows you how to build a privacy‑first, plug‑and‑play smart‑home hub using a Raspberry Pi and the open‑source Homebridge platform. If you’re tired of proprietary ecosystems like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or Apple HomeKit, this step‑by‑step guide will get your devices talking without handing over your data. 🔧 What you’ll learn - Why open standards (Matter, Thread) matter for device interoperability - Comparing popular open‑source hubs: Homebridge vs. OpenHAB - Using the Raspberry Pi Imager to flash Raspberry Pi OS onto an SD card - Writing the image, booting the Pi, and configuring Homebridge’s Wi‑Fi setup network - Controlling your lights, sensors, and plugs from the Apple Home app or any web browser All of this is done in under 20 minutes, so you can set it up this weekend and start migrating away from closed‑source platforms. The goal? A sovereign smart‑home that you control, not the cloud. - Learn more about Maple AI’s privacy‑focused tools: https://trymaple.ai

In this episode of Freedom Tech Weekend, we dive into a powerful alternative to Google Docs and other cloud-based note-taking tools—Obsidian. If you’re looking to reclaim your digital privacy and sovereignty, Obsidian offers encrypted, markdown-based, locally stored notes with optional sync—without handing your data to Big Tech. Host Marks walks through his personal Obsidian workflow, shares use cases, plugin recommendations, and previews other open-source and privacy-focused alternatives like AnyType and Logseq. Whether you're looking to migrate off Google Docs, explore markdown, or organize your knowledge securely, this episode is your weekend launchpad. 🎯 Take back your notes. Take back your freedom. 🌐 Learn more at https://trymaple.ai

Take control of your content. On this week’s Freedom Tech Weekend, we explore open source media servers you can run from home to stream music, movies, photos, and personal videos to your devices—anywhere in the world. Say goodbye to Netflix, Spotify, or Amazon Photos and hello to your self-hosted, private media cloud. We'll look at privacy-preserving platforms like Jellyfin, Emby, Ampache, Subsonic, and Navidrome, as well as legacy players like Kodi and Plex. Whether you're backing up old DVDs or building your own Spotify alternative, this guide shows you how to start simple with an old laptop and grow from there. 👉 Protect your privacy with tools you control. 👉 Play around this weekend, reclaim your data, and stream your stuff—your way. 🔐 Try our confidential, encrypted AI assistant at: https://trymaple.ai

This week on Freedom Tech Weekend, we’re diving into White Noise — a brand-new secure messaging app that rivals Signal but without centralized servers. Built on the Nostr protocol and leveraging the powerful MLS (Messaging Layer Security) standard, White Noise delivers encrypted, scalable, identity-free communication designed for freedom lovers. We cover: What makes centralized servers risky for private communication How White Noise combines MLS and Nostr to eliminate choke points The difference between Signal and decentralized messaging models A live demo of White Noise on an Android device Why projects like BitChat and Meshtastic are exciting but different How Nostr identities unlock app interoperability and sovereign identity How to test White Noise yourself this weekend Whether you're a builder, privacy advocate, or just curious about the tech that could replace mainstream platforms, this episode gives you the tools and context to try sovereign tech now. 🔐 Maple AI — Private, secure, confidential AI for teams: https://trymaple.ai 📲 White Noise App: https://whitenoise.chat 📢 Want to join us next week? Subscribe & tap the bell 🔔

In this special July 4th episode of Freedom Tech Weekend, we step away from tool demos and dive deep into the philosophy of The Sovereign Individual—a prophetic book that predicted the decline of the nation state and the rise of personal sovereignty via digital tools like Bitcoin, encryption, and the internet. Host Marks reflects on how broken money—not just taxes—was a root cause of the American Revolution and draws powerful parallels between that era and our current "Fourth Turning." We explore how technological revolutions are empowering individuals to become sovereign—moving beyond borders, working globally, and defending their freedom through decentralized systems. Key Topics: American Revolution Sovereign Individual Technology and Freedom The Fourth Turning Bitcoin as a tool for peaceful revolution From the origins of nation-states to the rise of the digital nomad class, this is a wide-ranging, thought-provoking conversation that celebrates independence and builds the case for a peaceful revolution—brick by digital brick. 📍Visit Maple AI – a privacy-first, freedom-aligned ChatGPT alternative: https://trymaple.ai

What if you could own your podcast and keep your freedom? In this episode of Freedom Tech Weekend, Marks dives deep into Podcasting 2.0 — a powerful open protocol that helps creators reclaim their feeds from platforms like Spotify and YouTube. Whether you're just launching your first show or looking to migrate off closed systems, Podcasting 2.0 offers tools like value-for-value monetization, chapter support, transcripts, and split payment payouts. We also explore tools like Fountain (which just merged with RSS Blue), and how Nostr is being used to decentralize podcast discovery. Learn how to create your own RSS feed, leverage Podcast Index, and why now is the best time to future-proof your show. 🔐 Sovereign tech matters. Whether it’s email, AI, or podcasting — each step gets you closer to controlling your data. 👉 Try out Maple AI – your encrypted, privacy-respecting AI: https://trymaple.ai 📺 New to Freedom Tech Weekend? We cover a different privacy-first tool each week to help you slowly decouple from surveillance tech.

Ready to ditch eye‑strain and midnight doom‑scrolling? In this Freedom Tech Weekend episode we go hands‑on with the Daylight Computer DC‑1—the first tablet designed to emit zero blue light at the hardware level while remaining perfectly readable in direct sunshine. ☀️ Host Marks takes you on a demo of the DC‑1’s amber, glare‑free “LivePaper” display, shows how its adjustable color temperature protects your circadian rhythm, and explains why the project’s upcoming Linux flash image turns this Android slab into true sovereign tech. You’ll also learn the science behind blue light exposure, get practical light‑hygiene tips to improve sleep, and hear a follow‑up on last week’s Organic Maps discussion. If you’re exploring open‑source, privacy‑respecting gear—or just want healthier screen time—this episode is for you. 🔗 Explore Maple AI, the research assistant Marks used on‑air: https://trymaple.ai 📡 Follow Me X/Twitter: @marks_ftw Nostr: marks@primal.net Get confidential AI for free: https://trymaple.ai

Take control of your location data! In this Freedom Tech Weekend episode we compare Google Maps, Apple Maps and truly private options built on OpenStreetMap, then dive deep into Organic Maps—an open‑source, offline‑first navigation app that never phones home. You’ll learn how major mapping services monetize your movements, why Apple’s differential privacy still leaves breadcrumbs, and how community‑powered maps can deliver accurate turn‑by‑turn directions without sacrificing sovereignty. We also recap new AI‑privacy headlines (ChatGPT data‑retention orders, Meta AI leaks). Ready to experiment? Grab Organic Maps this weekend, download your region, switch your SIM off and see how liberating true offline navigation can be. As always, any sats you send are re‑routed to the open‑source builders we feature. 🔒🗺️ Learn more about our fully‑encrypted large‑language‑model platform at https://trymaple.ai.

Worried about what OpenAI saves when you chat with ChatGPT? Data retention at ChatGPT and other services is more than you think. 🕵️‍♂️ In this Freedom Tech Weekend livestream, Marks digs into the court order forcing OpenAI to retain every user prompt—even “deleted” and “temporary” chats—and shows how that threatens freedom of thought. We break down the New York Times vs OpenAI lawsuit, what data ChatGPT actually stores (PII, screenshots, browsing activity & more), and why “zero-data-retention” enterprise promises aren’t enough. Then we pivot to solutions you can deploy TODAY: 🖥️ Local LLMs with LM Studio & Whisper for fully offline transcription 🛡️ Maple AI (https://trymaple.ai) – the first cloud AI using secure enclaves & end-to-end encryption, so only you hold the key 🏠 Home-server paths (Start9, Umbral) for complete self-sovereignty Whether you’re a journalist, developer or privacy-first power user, you’ll leave with a weekend action plan to migrate away from surveillance-heavy AI platforms and toward sovereign, encrypted technology you control. ▶️ Subscribe for weekly Freedom Tech deep-dives and let us know which proprietary tool you want to ditch next! 📡 Follow Me X/Twitter: @marks_ftw Nostr: marks@primal.net Get confidential AI for free: https://trymaple.ai

Ready to own your conversations and ditch data-mining messengers? In this Freedom Tech Weekend episode we take a hands-on tour of the Signal app—the open-source, end-to-end-encrypted messenger trusted by activists, journalists, and privacy pros worldwide. Fresh from the Oslo Freedom Forum, host Marks shares real-world lessons from AI workshops for human-rights defenders, then dives into: Why Signal’s X3DH key exchange, Perfect Forward Secrecy and metadata minimization protect you better than SMS, WhatsApp or Telegram A quick walkthrough of Signal’s GitHub, community forum and donation-funded model How to link your Phone and Desktop apps and the security behind the exchange An early look at Signal-Llama, a brand-new bridge that lets you chat with a local Ollama AI bot—perfect for truly private AI assistance A weekend challenge: migrate just one contact to Signal and feel the difference If you want the same privacy philosophy for AI, try our open source project Maple AI — the world’s most private cloud LLM chat. Give it a spin at https://trymaple.ai 🌿 📡 Follow Me X/Twitter: @marks_ftw Nostr: marks@primal.net Get confidential AI for free: https://trymaple.ai

Unlock the real power of the internet in this Freedom Tech Weekend episode! Marks walks you through Tor—the Onion Router—showing how its volunteer-run network of encrypted relays lets anyone browse anonymously, punch through censorship, and take back digital sovereignty. We clear up misconceptions (no, it’s not just for criminals), dig into the U.S. Navy origins, and demo the Tor Browser step-by-step—from download to advanced security-level tweaks, bridges, and “new identity” circuits. You’ll also see how Tor pairs perfectly with Maple AI, the end-to-end-encrypted chat assistant built on OpenSecret enclaves, and how projects like Start9 home servers and LTor (Lightning-powered incentives) are pushing privacy even further. Whether you’re a journalist, developer, or weekend tinkerer, you’ll leave with a concrete plan to play with Tor this weekend and start decoupling from proprietary walled gardens. 🔗 Try Maple AI for free: https://trymaple.ai Follow me X / Twitter: @marks_ftw

Need to send files to non-Apple devices? 🎉 In this bite-sized Freedom Tech Weekend episode, Marks streams from an airport layover to show how anyone—on iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, or macOS—can swap files instantly without AirDrop. We compare two open-source, cross-platform tools: LocalSend – a polished desktop & mobile app that uses local Wi-Fi to beam files peer-to-peer with no central server Magic Wormhole – a CLI powerhouse that transfers anything from photos to entire folders by exchanging a simple one-time code You’ll learn how AirDrop actually works and where LocalSend or Wormhole shine—especially offline situations with mixed company. Drop a comment if you’ve tried either tool and tell us what privacy-first tech you want next week! 📡 Follow Me X/Twitter: @marks_ftw Nostr: marks@primal.net Get confidential AI for free: https://trymaple.ai

Welcome back to Freedom Tech Weekend! In this episode, Marks from Maple AI shows you how to take control of your inbox with privacy-first email tools you can try today. Learn the pros and cons of disposable emails versus long-lived email aliases, see live demos of Guerrilla Mail, Proton Mail, and SimpleLogin, and discover how aliases protect you from spam, data breaches, and unwanted tracking. We also cover why services sometimes block throw-away addresses and how to choose the right option for your threat model. ► Play along this weekend and test the tools yourself—then pair them with Maple AI’s end-to-end-encrypted chat for a fully sovereign workflow: https://trymaple.ai Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a Freedom Tech Weekend deep-dive into open-source, privacy-preserving tools. 📡 Follow Me X/Twitter: @marks_ftw YouTube: @marks_ftw Nostr: marks@primal.net Get confidential AI for free: https://trymaple.ai

Ready to break free from closed-source password lockers? In Episode 5 of Freedom Tech Weekend, we dive straight into Bitwarden—the leading open-source password manager—and its self-hosted sibling Vaultwarden. 🚀 📡 Follow Me X/Twitter: @marks_ftw Nostr: marks@primal.net Get confidential AI for free: https://trymaple.ai

Welcome to Freedom Tech Weekend! In this live session we put Kagi’s new Orion Browser through its paces and ask a simple question: can you finally ditch Chrome, Firefox or Brave without sacrificing speed? You’ll hear: Real-time install & first-launch on macOS A deep dive into Orion’s zero-telemetry promise and the independent Size-of-Cat privacy audit Side-by-side comparison with Firefox, Brave and Safari privacy matrices Live network-traffic sniffing that instantly flagged a tracker on my own site (😅) How Orion’s built-in content blocker, WebKit engine and iCloud-synced keychain work together Why paying for software like Kagi Search flips the incentives in your favor Stick around to the end for a sneak preview of next week’s Bitwarden + Vaultwarden password-manager showdown and a quick demo of Maple AI — our fully encrypted AI chat that keeps client data off Big Tech servers. Try it free at https://trymaple.ai. Freedom Tech Weekend is all about helping you migrate off proprietary, data-hungry services and onto sovereign, open-source tools you control. Hit Subscribe and ring that bell so you never miss a privacy upgrade! 📡 Follow Me X/Twitter: @marks_ftw Nostr: marks@primal.net Get confidential AI for free: https://trymaple.ai

Welcome to Freedom Tech Weekend — your weekly dose of open-source tech you can run yourself. In this episode, we explore Firefly III, a powerful, privacy-first alternative to tools like QuickBooks and YNAB. This open-source, self-hosted personal finance app gives you full control over your financial data with no monthly fees and no data harvesting. We walk through setup, features like transaction importing, budgeting, piggy banks (goal tracking), API usage, and how Firefly III stacks up against proprietary platforms like Intuit's QuickBooks. If you’re tired of subscription bloat and privacy invasions, Firefly III might be the finance tool for you. 🔗 Firefly III: https://firefly-iii.org We also demo Maple AI, a confidential AI assistant that helps answer questions privately with zero data logging. 🔗 Try it free at https://trymaple.ai 📡 Follow\ X/Twitter: @marks_ftw\ Nostr: marks@primal.net\ Watch episodes on the Freedom Tech Weekend playlist Let’s migrate off closed systems — one tool at a time.

In this episode of Freedom Tech Weekend, we explore Goose, a powerful tool that uses Model Context Protocol (MCP) to coordinate with various AI tools and agents. Goose is an on-machine AI agent that automates engineering tasks, allowing you to integrate different tools and services to streamline your workflow. We dive into the basics of Goose, its features, and its potential applications. We also discuss MCP, a protocol that enables AI agents to communicate with each other and with various tools, and how it can be used to create a more seamless and automated workflow. During the stream, we attempt to use Goose to automate tasks such as transcription and blog post generation, and discuss the potential benefits and limitations of using such tools. Whether you're a developer, a tech enthusiast, or simply interested in learning more about AI and automation, this stream is for you. Join us as we explore the possibilities of Goose and MCP, and learn how to use these tools to enhance your productivity and workflow. This is a show that streams every Friday at 15:30 UTC or 10:30 Central (Bitcoin Park Time). To chat about upcoming episodes and suggest tool ideas you want to see discussed: Follow me on X: @marks_ftw Follow me on Nostr: marks@primal.net Follow me on YouTube: @marks_ftw Episodes are unofficially sponsored by the company I co-founded called OpenSecret. We make a sweet, freedom tech AI chat app called Maple AI. Check out Maple AI - private, end-to-end encrypted AI Chat at https://trymaple.ai